Danish electricity prices reached their highest weekly level in nearly four years this week, after several days of weak wind and limited sunshine cut green power output.
According to DR, the pure electricity price rose to 1.80 kroner per kilowatt hour in western Denmark and 2 kroner in eastern Denmark over the past week. The figures were published by the energy company Norlys in a press release.
Norlys said that was the highest level since December 2022, when the wholesale price stood at 2.90 kroner per kilowatt hour. The peak during the 2022 energy crisis was 4.35 kroner per kilowatt hour, so current prices remain well below that mark.
Dunkelflaute pushed gas plants into the gap
The weather phenomenon behind the increase is known as dunkelflaute, which translates roughly as dark lull. It occurs in the winter months, when wind turbines stand still after days of weak wind and clouds and haze limit output from solar panels.
Ellen Trolle, director of Norlys’ energy business, said that gas-fired power stations then have to deliver more electricity. When gas is expensive at the same time, she noted, the effect shows up quickly in the electricity price.
DR reported that Russia’s war against Ukraine and the accompanying export sanctions have contributed to higher gas prices. The broadcaster also pointed to the war in Iran and the reduced flow of oil through the Strait of Hormuz.
The most expensive hour of the week was expected around 7 p.m. on November 8. At that point the pure electricity price was set to reach 2.40 kroner per kilowatt hour in the west of the country and 2.60 kroner in the east.
Trolle said households may want to revisit some of the habits from the energy crisis. Delaying the dishwasher or the charging of an electric car until cheaper hours is, per Norlys, a simple way to keep the bill down. DR reported that prices are expected to fall again when the weather brings more sun and wind.
What the price spike means for internationals’ power bills
The figures quoted by Norlys cover the raw market price only. Ekstra Bladet, which repeated the same Norlys figures, clarified that the price excludes tariffs, subscriptions and surcharges. That means the amount on a household bill is higher than the per kilowatt hour numbers reported this week.
Denmark is also split into two price areas, with western and eastern Denmark priced separately. That is why the same week produced 1.80 kroner per kilowatt hour in the west and 2 kroner in the east. For residents new to the country, the structure of electricity contracts and tariffs is one of the least intuitive parts of a Danish utility bill.
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The advice from Norlys about moving consumption to cheaper hours applies to contracts that are priced hour by hour. Households on a fixed-price agreement do not see weekly market swings in the same way. Internationals comparing electricity providers in Denmark can check which type of contract they hold before changing routines.
The example used by Norlys, charging an electric car, is relevant for the growing number of EV owners who charge at home. Shifting that load away from the evening peak around 7 p.m. is the specific behavior the company highlighted. Those who rely mainly on public EV charging stations are billed by the operator rather than by their own hourly household rate.
Norlys and DR both framed the increase as temporary and weather-driven, not as a return to crisis levels. No Danish authority has announced any new measure in response to this week’s prices. What the bills will look like for the rest of the winter depends on wind, sunshine and gas prices, which neither source has forecast beyond the expectation of a fall once the weather changes.
